Rewarding Your Members

People sign up to become members of a charity out of generosity, but they can decide to stop paying their dues if they feel unappreciated. This is why it is important to consider what kind of rewards you give your members carefully.

Keep Rewards Relevant

Sometimes the type of rewards that a member can get are easily linked to the non-profit they are a part of. For instance, museums can give the bottom-tier members discounts on tours and events that the museum holds, whereas a member signed up for a higher level might get their name inscribed on an exhibit. Connecting the rewards for the members to your cause reinforces the idea that we are all working for a purpose together, and they give everyone a chance to feel like they belong. Some excellent examples are:

– Your non-profit promotes free music lessons to kids, so members get discounts to concert events.

– You’re an animal sanctuary, so your members get discounts or gift certificates for pet products.

Have Rewards That Strengthen The Members’ Ties To Your Organization

A great type of reward makes members feel like they have bought themselves entry into a club. Members should get invitations to your fundraising events and activities at discounted prices or with VIP seating. This lets them feel that they are participants, and this will increase their loyalty.

Keeping The Levels Fair

People, and indeed other animals, have an innate sense of fairness. They realize that people who do more for the non-profit should get more acknowledgment, but that the disparity should make sense. This will take some careful calibration, but the first thing to remember is to not leave your lower-level members hanging. They should feel like they are getting out more than they have put in, or they will skip becoming a member in the first place. Basically, it has to at least worth $20. From there, add one additional thing with each level. For instance:

-Level 3 gets a hoodie, the discount, and a mention of their business in your flyers.

So long as the levels and how much people are paying in dues feels proportional, people will be happy.

Process Donation knows that working out what members get can be complicated, and that is why they provide a fundraising and donor management platform that streamlines and simplifies fundraising. Contact us to learn more about donor memberships and other aspects of fundraising.